


The 5 times Pepper comforts Tony and the one time he comforts her

by Earthsbestdefender



Series: Pepperony Week 2019 [1]
Category: Iron Man (Movies), Marvel Cinematic Universe, The Avengers (Marvel Movies)
Genre: Fix It, Fluff, Hurt/Comfort, Post-Avengers: Endgame (Movie)
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-08-03
Updated: 2019-08-03
Packaged: 2020-07-29 22:27:37
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,559
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/20089780
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Earthsbestdefender/pseuds/Earthsbestdefender
Summary: Tony's recovery is a rough one, but Pepper his there for him every step of the way.





	The 5 times Pepper comforts Tony and the one time he comforts her

ONE:

Pepper gently guided Peter away from her dying husband and turned him over to Rhodey who held him back. She felt bad for the boy, goodness knew he didn't deserve to lose a third father, and he sure as hell deserved to give Tony a proper good-bye, but Pepper knew the boy wouldn't do that. She knew Peter would beg Tony to stay, and he didn't need that. Pepper had failed at her most important mission in life, but she would be damned to hell if she let Tony suffer in the last moments of her horrendous failure. She needed to make sure he was at peace before the end.

Pepper knelt down in front of Tony and gave him a smile. Light flickered into Tony's dull pained gaze, and he managed a weak smile.

"Hey Pep," Tony mouthed, his whisper was barely audible.

She gave him a comforting smile and rested her hand against his chest.

"Friday?"

"Life functions critical."

Pepper pursed her lips and looked back up at Tony as his hand grabbed hers. His gaze had fallen away from her and was focused loosely on the ground.

"Tony," Pepper called to him, "Tony, look at me."

His tired brown eyes flickered back up to her.

"We're gonna be okay," Pepper promised.

Tony opened his mouth like he was trying to speak, but the only sound that escaped was a weak rasp before his lips lay still. She could hear his tiny breaths tearing and catching in his throat. He was trying to hang on for her. She could feel his pain just by looking into his eyes. He wasn't going to make it. She had to let him go.

"You can rest now," She whispered, and as if her words gave him some kind of relief, the fire that had burned in his eyes since the day they had met flickered and went out. The glowing light on his chest faded and went dark, and his hand fell away from hers. Pepper swallowed back a choking sob and kissed his cheek before finally breaking down and burying her face in his shoulder.

TWO:

Pepper sat patiently next to Tony’s hospital bed, combing her fingers through his still dirty hair. The Wakandan doctors had done the best they could getting him cleaned up after his hours of surgery, but there was only so much that could be done while he was still out cold. She still wasn’t entirely sure that what she was feeling was real. She had felt him die, and part of her had died right there with him, but then Dr. Strange had landed next to her, and with him, he had brought hope. He had somehow brought Tony back, saved him, and before Pepper had really had the full time to register it all Tony was being carried away by Wakandan doctors. She had sat in the comfortable waiting room of the most advanced hospital on the planet for what seemed like an eternity but was only actually 31 hours. Rhodey had been there and stayed with her the whole time. She had fallen asleep for a few minutes here and there, but not enough to constitute as real sleep. Then the doctor had come and given her the news. Tony was going to be okay. Minus an arm and some energy, and the possibility of getting sick easier, but he would live. Even now as she stroked his hair she wasn’t entirely sure that she wasn’t still passed out against Rhodey’s shoulder in the waiting room.

Tony mouthed something that she couldn’t quite make out, and he opened his eyes a little. He furrowed his eyebrows in confusion.

“Why are you here?” He asked, his voice thin and raspy, “You didn’t die…”

Pepper smiled weakly, “Neither did you, Tony,” She assured him and brushed away a strand of his hair away from his face, “You’re okay. You survived.”

“But…” He trailed off, appearing to think better of whatever he had been going to say, “How…?”

Pepper looked into her husband’s eyes. She had believed that she would never get to look into them again. He had died right in front of her, he shouldn’t be laying before her, he shouldn’t be alive, and yet here he was and Pepper found that there really was no clear explanation. Dr. Strange had said it shouldn’t have been possible to get him back. The Wakandan doctors had said it shouldn’t have been possible to  _ keep  _ him alive.

“A miracle,” Pepper replied as a smile spread across her face, the most genuine smile she had smiled. Tony was her miracle.

Tony smiled back, and for once he didn’t argue about the existence of miracles.

“How bad?” Tony asked after a few seconds of them just soaking in each other’s presence. He seemed to be getting a little stronger with each passing second.

Pepper sighed a little. He had survived yes, but his recovery would be slow, hard, and never truly complete. Some damages wouldn’t heal, and couldn’t be fixed. Pepper thought for a few seconds on how to break the news to him without sending him into a panicked spiral.

“The good news is you will get to put in some man-hours in the workshop with Morgan,” Pepper replied.

“What’s the bad news?” Tony asked straightening up a little.

“You’ll have to spend those man-hours making yourself a new right arm…”

Tony raised his eyebrows in surprise, “I’ll have to do what now?”

Pepper pursed her lips, “They… Tony, they couldn’t save your arm.”

“Okay…” Tony breathed. She could see him getting a little panicky.

“It’ll be okay Tony,” Pepper assured him and grabbed the hand he still had in hers, “I promise.”

Tony let out a nervous exhale and squeezed her hand tighter. 

“What if something happens and I can’t protect you and Morgan?” Tony rasped weakly as his breathing got more and more constricted, “Pep… I have to- what if I can’t-”

“Tony listen to me,” Pepper said gripping his hand firmly and guiding his face around so he was looking into her eyes, “Everything will be okay. I promise. I wasn’t lying when I said you could rest. Let me take a turn protecting us.” Tony tried to look away but Pepper snapped his attention with a firm call of his name, “Tony. Trust me. Please.”

Tony swallowed hard, “Okay Pepper.”

Pepper breathed a sigh of relief and pressed a gentle kiss against his forehead, “I will keep us safe. I promise.”

THREE

“Are you feeling okay?” Pepper asked and pressed her hand against Tony’s hot cheek.

“I’m a little cold,” He admitted and tucked the sleeves of his MIT hoodie over his hands and snuggled closer to her on the couch. 

Pepper wasn’t exactly sure why she was so surprised about the rapid development of his fever. The doctors back in Wakanda had warned her that fevers would be a common occurrence due to the minor damage to his brain stem. She had already begun to notice the other effects that had been warned of. He had been getting tired faster and most nights he was asleep before she even got home from work. Sometimes she would come home and discover him passed out on the couch with Morgan still sitting alertly in his lap still watching whatever movie he had put on to entertain them. 

“You wanna go on to bed?” Pepper asked resting her chin on his warm head.

“No, we were gonna hang out on your day off,” Tony replied.

Pepper knew that he felt guilty about barely being able to stay up long enough to be there when she got home from work. She had tried to convince him that it was okay and that it wasn’t his fault, but he never really bought it.

“We’ve been doing stuff all day,” Pepper commented, “If you’re tired it’s okay to get some sleep, especially because you are running a fever-”

“Pep, I’m tired of sleeping all the time,” Tony replied with frustration in his tone.

Pepper rubbed his scared shoulder gently with her thumb as she sat with her arm tucked around him.

“It’s okay Tony we were going to get old and sleepy eventually,” Pepper replied.

Tony laughed a little and kissed her cheek, “I never thought the day would come.”

“Neither did I, to be completely honest. Tony Stark sleeping? What?” Pepper joked.

Tony laughed, “Sleep? What’s that?”

Pepper intertwined her fingers with his, “It took an act of God, but you’re old. You’re allowed to sleep all the time.”

Tony leaned in closer to her, his skin still felt warm against hers, but not as warm as it had been. Before she knew it Tony was snoring softly leaned against her shoulder. She didn’t bother trying to get up, instead, she leaned her head against his sort hair and closed her eyes.

FOUR:

Pepper was pulled out of her restless slumber by Tony sitting bolt upright in bed with a mix of a choked and panicked scream, and a desperate gasp of pain. Pepper switched the lamp next to their bed on and sat up next to him. 

“You okay?” Pepper asked and ran her hand gently down his back trying to comfort him. She could feel his hot sweat even through his tank top, “What happened?”

Tony shook his head a little and leaned against her, nestling his head into her shoulder.

“Sweetie?” Pepper pressed as she wrapped her arm around his still quivering shoulders.

“Thanos…” Tony rasped, his chest jerking in uneven drawn-out heaves, “He… Pep, he was going to kill…” Tony broke off as a shuddering gasp for air cut him off and choked out his words.

“It was just a dream,” Pepper promised and held Tony close to her, running her fingers through his sweaty hair as she cradled his head against her chest, “We’re safe.”

Tony let out a weak broken sob, “It was so real…”

“Shhh,” Pepper soothed and kissed the top of his head, “I’m right here. Morgan and I are safe. We’re all safe.”

Pepper could feel her husband slowly relaxing in her arms as she rubbed his back. Eventually, his breathing evened out into quiet snores, and Pepper leaned back in bed with Tony’s head still pressed against her chest. She didn’t sleep for a long time. She just lay in silence and combed her fingers through Tony’s curls, making sure he knew even in his sleep that she was there, and that he was safe.

FIVE:

Morgan narrowed her eyebrows and glared across the table at her father who narrowed his eyes and glared right back at her. Morgan stuck out her bottom lip and cracked her knuckles. Uncle Bruce had told her that it would give her fingers arthritis, but she didn’t care. She needed to do it for the aesthetic. Her mother, Aunt Nebula, Uncle Rhodey, and Peter were watching eagerly from where they stood on the sidelines. Morgan had spent the whole night climbing the ranks so she could finally face the defending champion: Her father.

Her father popped his neck and then placed his hands to form the small goal frame. Morgan smiled and picked up the paper football off the table. They were tied, and the next point would take the game. Her father hunkered down low to look her in the eyes. Morgan didn’t flinch or squirm under his glare. She calmly lined up her shot and flicked. The paper football sailed through the air and landed perfectly on the other side of her father’s fingers. Morgan sprang to her feet with a whoop of joy.

“AND WE HAVE A WINNER!” Peter cried and scooped her into the air.

Tony flopped his head down on the table down on the table in defeat.

“Are you okay dear?” Pepper asked and rubbed her hands through his hair.

“No! This is the worst thing ever!” Tony said in a joking tone, “I can’t believe I was defeated!”

Pepper smiled kissed the top of his head.

“How could this happen!?” Tony cried with a mock wail.

“I won!” Morgan sang from her perch on top of Peter’s shoulders.

“It’s okay baby, you’ll get her next time,” Pepper whispered and leaned down kissing Tony on the cheek.

Tony smiled as he watched his daughter as she celebrated her victory. He didn’t want to beat her next time. He would gladly accept any defeat if it meant she won in the end.

The time Tony comforts Pepper:

_ Panic shot into Pepper as she rounded the corner and discovered Tony leaned against the cabinet, blood and burns covering the right side of his body. She choked out a terrified sob as she knelt in front of him. The smell of burnt flesh and blood flooded her senses, and his weak scraping breaths tore at her and riped her apart on the inside. _

_ “No. no. no. Not again, please!” Pepper begged as she reached out and cupped her hand against his cheek. _

_ He reached up and grabbed around her wrist, tight. _

_ “You could have stopped this,” Tony growled in between weak gasps. _

_ “I’m sorry… I’m sorry…” Pepper sobbed, “I didn’t mean- I’m so sorry.” _

_ He let out one last shuddering breath and then his gaze went blank and his hand fell away from hers. _

“No!” Pepper sat bolt upright in bed, panic still grabbing at her. She could feel her heart hammering away in her chest. She could feel tears streaming down her cheeks as she sat in bed gasping for air. It hadn’t been real. It couldn’t be real. 

The light coming on startled her a little.

“You okay Pep?” Tony asked sitting up slowly next to her. She looked him over for a brief moment, before throwing herself into his arms, “Okay…” Tony sounded a little confused, but he wrapped his arm around her all the same, “Everything's okay sweetie.”

“I know,” Pepper sniffled as she held him close. He was there. He was safe, “I just had a bad dream.”

“About…?”

“That- that day.”

She could feel Tony’s chest tighten a little against her cheek.

“It’s okay Pep,” He whispered and rested his chin on her head, “It was two years ago. It’s okay.”

“It was so real,” Pepper mumbled into his soft t-shirt, and let another sob take over.

“Shh,” Tony soothed and rubbed her back calmingly, “Breathe.”

“It was so real,” She repeated.

“I know honey, I know,” Tony replied, his voice calm and soothing as he rubbed his fingers up and down her back, “I’m right here Pep. No death, no pain, completely okay.”

Pepper wrapped her arms around his torso and clung to him for dear life, breathing in the smell of his sweet honey-scented aftershave, and all the other smells he bore with him. He was there and he was safe. Everything was and would be okay.

Tony lay back, but let Pepper stay where she was laying with her head rested against his muscular chest. She allowed herself to close her eyes, and drifted off to sleep, listening to the rhythmic beat of his heart and his easy breathing, and his strong hand rubbing her back. It had been a very long time since he had held her. She had almost forgotten how much she loved it.


End file.
